{동인시화}에 보이는 중국 시화 변용의 묘미와 의미

Abstract

Much has been written about Tongin sihwa, a book of critical essays on poetry by Sŏ Kŏjŏng (徐居正;1420-1488) who was an eminent korean literary critic. Certain sections, however, that dealt with his adaptations of Chinese poetic essays have been overlooked. Critical of these Chinese works, he demonstrated a great flexibility of thinking and transformed the subject material in a variety of perspectives. He did not however directly oppose the opinions of Chinese literary critics but its beauty was the way he quietly carried out his work. This approach reflected to some degree his defiance of Chinese emissaries and their general disdain towards the standards of Korean literature. He attempted to demonstrate the superiority of Korean literature that departed from the Chinese path even as he accepted Chinese standards. He can be seen as the one who attempted a literary critique that could be easily understood by the Chinese and whose excellence could not be denied. Sŏ Kŏjŏng was also someone who accepted all the responsibility for commentary of Chinese poetic criticism only to find it wanting. The different literary contexts that surrounds the Tongsin sihwa, a work that highlights the essence of poetic criticism also suggests the depth of literary criticism that existed in Korea during this period.